Extremitas Narro

Prologue

Ginny Weasly watched him walk away. He had turned his back on her. On her, on Dumbledore's tomb. He was walking away. She lifted her face upwards to study is lean figure head walking down towards the lake. Her dusky blue eyes narrowed slightly as she saw Rufus Scrimounger follow him. Ginny lowered her eyes and turned towards the white tomb. Tears began to slip out from her eyes. Not because she was lamenting the loss of her boyfriend, but the loss of a truly brilliant wizard. She could see her brother Ron comfort his girlfriend Hermione. They were meant for each other. Like two pieces of a puzzle, linked tight together; Ginny mused. They too, rose and followed Harry. She saw them talking with them by the lake. It always seemed to be those three. The mighty Trio. She could never really be accepted by them. Truthfully, Ginny thought, she wasn't accepted with any group of people….she was just there.

Ginny knew her in her heart that Harry had broken things off with her because it was the right thing to do. He didn't want to put her in harm's way. He had to work alone. Bullshit. Ron and Hermione would be there every step of the way. Every goddamn step; she thought irratibly to herself. Ginny stood up and shook back her long mane of fiery red hair and studied the school with an odd expression on her face. Five years of education, of home, of warmth, of memories, the good and the bad. And now it was going to close. And in that moment, when all the guests of Dumbledore's funeral were leaving, she decided that she would never return to Hogwarts again.

"Ginny! Come here!" her mum called out in a husky voice. It was clear that she had been sobbing.

Silently, Ginny walked over to her mother and her father. Her father hugged her tightly with tears staining his own cheeks.

"are your things packed dear?" her father asked her.

"yes" she answered simply. Ever since she had been told that Dumbledore had died, she didn't feel like doing that much talking. Suddenly, it was too painful to talk, to painful to sing, to dance. It was too painful to feel any joy or happiness. She looked past the shimmering water of the lake. It seemed impossible to see the sun shine so cheerfully, to see the lake twinkle and wink at her. Ginny felt that she was beginning to understand the true feeling of grief and bitterness.

Harry Potter smiled sadly at his two best friends. What they had said to him really meant something to him. They believed in him, they were going to be there for him. And is really seemed ethereal that something so pure, so innocent, such as a wedding could still be held.

"I wouldn't miss it for the world mate" he said honestly.

"good, and then you can go off to Godric's Hollow. But we're comin with you Harry" Ron said seriously with his fingers laced with Hermione's.

Harry only smiled cryptically at him. He sighed and ran a hand through his fingers. It seemed unreal, that last year, he had lost Sirius, and now this year, he had lost Dumbledore. He could not help but think of who he might lose next; next year at this time.

"so….you're stuff all packed?" Harry asked randomly.

"yes" Ron answered glumly.

"I can't believe we're not going to come back here" Hermione said sadly. She bit her bottom lip as she looked towards the school.

"It wouldn't have been the same" Harry said dispiritedly.

"true that" Ron agreed.

Chapter One: Thinking

Ginny awoke to the sun streaming through her small bedroom window. Groggily, she rubbed her eyes and swung her legs out from her bed and crossed the length of her room. Hugging her elbows to her sides, she stared out of the window into the backyard. The overgrown bushes, the scraggily roses, the withered weeds. Yes, all the comforts of her family's topsy turvy home.

Home.

It hit Ginny's heart with a sharp pain. Inhaling like an old woman, she let her arms fall limply by her sides. It didn't seem real. It was all like a dream. A never ending dream, a dream that stretches for miles on end. Every morning she woke up, every morning she showered and dressed. Every day she would sit in the parlor and read her textbooks, mend, draw, read. It was the same thing every day. It was one big repetition. Sometimes, Ginny honestly wondered if she was standing still in time, and the time was simply revolving around her. She truly did. The same damn things every day. It was driving her barking mad.

Twenty minutes later, Ginny came lightly down the stairs showered, dressed and with a blank expression on her face. Quietly, she slid in her seat and helped herself to some cornflakes. Her mother was by the stove wearing the same worn apron with a spatula in her hand, her wand in the other. Fleur was sitting across from Ginny with a cheerful expression and her fiancé, Bill was sitting besides her laughing softly with her. Ginny stared at the two with an odd expression on her face. They seemed unreal, to be laughing and smiling. They were getting married in a week. A week, and then her elder brother will be gone. Married happily with his gorgeous foreign wife with his own little house laughing and smiling while she was left behind in the dust, Ginny thought savagely. She mashed some of her cornflakes rather violently with her eyebrows drawn together.

"must you weer 'zat Ginny? All zis black iz not funny" Fleur sending her future sister-in-law an appraising look.

"I wear whatever I pick out first Fleur" she snapped.

"but all zis dark tones are not good for your skin!"

"bite me"

"hey!" Ginny's elder brother Bill, warned her.

"sorry" she muttered.

"toast Fleur?" Mrs. Weasly asked offering her future daughter-in-law a piece of buttered toast.

"zank you" fleur said graciously while narrowing her eyes at Ginny.

"the tiara should be arriving today or tomorrow Fleur, then we'll try it out" mrs. Weasly remarked now washing out some pans.

"wonderful!"

"whas wonderful?" a sleepy voice called from the stairs.

Ron came down and plonked himself besides Ginny. Absently, he stuffed a piece of bacon in his mouth. His shaggy red hair was stuck up at all angles and he was still in his pajamas. Ginny rolled her eyes at her brother's appearance.

"it's ten Ron and you're not dressed?" mrs. Weasly asked in a scandalized tone.

"not everyone gets up at the crack of dawn Mum" Ron mumbled under his breath.

Bill chortled and Ginny muffled a life. Fleur followed the conversation gamely.

After the dishes were finally cleared, the table wiped off and Ron finally dressed, Mrs. Weasly shooed Ginny and Ron outside to tackle the backyard.

"this is the first time in what? Four years we're working on this?" Ron asked groaning.

"I reckon….at least you can use magic though" Ginny agreed a bucket in one hand and a rake in an another.

"so I can!" Ron said highly tickled.

"if you only paid attention in class" she snickered.

"shuddap"

for two bone breaking hours, Ginny sweated and swore as she tackled the bushes and overgrown weeds. Ron had gotten rid of garden gnomes and now he was pruning the trees. The roses lay abandoned with their lethal thorns. Dirt was smudged on Ginny's cheeks, her hair tied up in a bun as she raked up dead weeds and leaves furiously. It actually felt rather invigorating; to do some real work. She wasn't stuck in the house, or holed up in her room. The sun was warming her, her limbs felt active again. For a moment, Ginny smiled in spite of what she had been feeling ever since Dumbledore had died.

Mrs. Weasly watched her youngest child rake up the dirt and weeds with a smile on her face. She crossed her arms in front of her and watched Ginny. Something had changed with Ginny. She didn't talk as much, she was very moody now. She kept to herself, shut herself up in her room. Ginny hadn't laughed in a while and she had not ridden her broom in weeks and she had lost her appetite. Ginny stared into space, was absent minded and took long naps during the day. She claimed she was always tired. Mrs. Weasly's worst fear was slowly becoming confirmed. Ginny was sinking into depression.

But she had seen a smile on her only daughter's face. A small one, but a smile nevertheless. A victory in mrs. Weasly's mind.

She opened the back door and called out to her children "come in, wash up and get dressed, they're coming!"

Ginny wiped sweat off her brow and gathered up the bucket and rake. Ron was still clipping the apple tree. With a little evil smile playing on her lips, she grabbed the ladder out from under him and Ron fell to a heap on the ground.

"bloody hell! What was that for?" he asked furiously.

"temptation!" she answered impishly.

"temptation my ass!" ron answered and leapt to his feet.

Ginny let out a shriek as Ron began chasing her around the backyard. She brandished her rake threateningly behind her and Ron ducked to avoid the spikes of it. Mrs. Weasly chuckled amusedly at seeing her two youngest children behave like kids again. Ginny seemed to be looking and moving like an old woman lately; and she was only fifteen. Fifteen, Mrs. Weasly thought with a pang.

"come in! and GET DRESSED!" she hollered at them.

Ginny and Ron ceased immediately. They did not want their mum screaming at them in the morning, or for that matter, at any point of the day. She was scary when she was angry. And Ron knew from experience. Muttering to themselves, they threw in their tools haphazardly in the broomshed and Ron disappeared into the house. Whereas Ginny took slow steps towards the house, it seemed too grim for her liking now. To repetitive, to slow. For Ginny, it was like a grim camp. Get up, do this, do that, go to bed; repeat. She sighed quietly to herself, Ginny felt like she was fading away, that she would just become a faded, blurry, worn picture soon.

"Ginny! You're filthy! You might need another shower!" her mum berated.

"oh no! I'm not going to take another shower mum! It's not even noon yet! I'll just wash my face and throw on some other clothes!" Ginny replied with her old fire returning back to her for the faintest moment.

Her mum sighed and left the room. Ginny imitated her and thundered up the stairs as fast as she could taking steps two at a time. She slammed the bathroom door hard and began washing her face so hard that it appeared red. Her knuckles were white from where her hands were clenched upon the counter. Wanting to scream, she left the bathroom in a huff to an unsurprised Ron.

Ginny owned heaps of clothes. Literally, heaps of clothes. Her room was full of magazine clippings of the latest style, she wanted to become a fashion designer. Most of what she owned were pretty colors, hues of reds, violets, yellows and blues. But lately, she had been dressing in rather depressing colors. A lot of blacks, navy blue and dark green. Closing her eyes she groped in her wardrobe at random for something suitable to wear. Her slender fingers fisted around a chiffon like material and cocking an eyebrow, her eyes scanned the light green summer dress. It had a wide neck and was sleeveless, and it was the color of a watercolor green. Cool, light, refreshing. Ginny slipped it on and the full skirt fell almost to her ankles. It swished freely about her, she looked like some kind of maiden. Adding a little eyeliner and giving her hair a quick brush she took one last survey at herself in the mirror. Her mum shouldn't have a problem at what she was wearing.

Ginny lightly came down the stairs barefoot. A second look at her toes made her feel a little ashamed. There was still chipping black nail polish on them, and on her fingers. Crossing them behind her back she put a fake smile on her face as Fleur scrutinized her.

"zat color is so much better on 'ou. I'm very glad 'ou chose it!" Fleur commented after circling Ginny.

"thank you" Ginny lied with her fingers still crossed. She couldn't help it, she still did not like Fleur, and never will. Deep in her mind, she still called Fleur, Phlegm.

"where ez Ron?" Fleur asked looking towards the stairs.

"uh, Fleur, this way" Ron answered from behind her waving his arm.

"oh….button up you're shirt"

he scowled behind her but buttoned up his light blue shirt. Once Fleur had looked away, he hastily unbuttoned his shirt.

"oh! They're hear!" Mrs. Weasly called out from the front door.

Harry scrambled out of the car followed by Hermione, then a bunch of French people. The French people were babbling in French and Hermione and him were eager to break apart from them. A huge grin plastered his face as he saw Ron waving furiously at him and running down the pathway. Bill also came striding after him also smiling followed by Mrs. Weasly. The only person, he did not see was….Ginny.

"Harry! Harry mate, good to see you!" Ron exclaimed clapping him on the back.

"good to see you too Ron! Hey Bill!" Harry replied still grinning.

"cheers Harry!" Bill said.

"RON!" Hermione exclaimed giving him a huge hug. He blushed madly but when Harry snickered, he stuck out his tongue at him.

"oh come on. Everyone knows you're already going out" Harry commented smiling at them.

Ron muttered something incomprehensible under his breath.

"Harry dear!" Mrs. Weasly had called out and embraced him tightly. She cave him a critical look and then clucked her tongue. "too skinny, as usual, those people…." She muttered.

"those people" were his aunt and uncle. And he had to agree with her wholeheartedly.

"Gabrielle!" Fleur shouted in delight. She swooped down on her younger sister and hugged and kissed her happily. The two sisters began to yammer away in French throwing up their hands in gestures.

Mr. and Mrs. Weasly were now nervously shaking Fleur's parent's hands. They too politely greeted and hugged each other. But all three of them could see that both sets of parents were rather frosty with each other. Trying very had not to laugh, the three of them turned away and began walking towards the house.

Ginny had hung back from the rest of the family. Bill, Ron and her mum and dad had all rushed forward to greet them smiling and laughing. But she had stayed stubbornly where she was. In front of the doorway, with her hands linked loosely in front of her. The day was warm and there was a strong breeze that blew quite frequently. It had blown her hair and dress back from her and it made her look like a summer maiden. She looked very much like a young girl again.

They were coming up the walkway now. Talking, laughing cheerfully. It seemed rather odd to hear those kind of sounds. Ginny merely stood there in front of the doorway like a marble statute. At last, Harry and those two stopped in front of her. Harry looked the same as always. Maybe he had grown a few more inches, but he was still the same. Pale skin, messy black hair, the old scar, glasses and those brilliant green eyes of his. Ginny remembered the day he told her that he couldn't see her anymore. And she had accepted that; but she didn't necessarily have to agree with it.

"Ginny!" Hermione's voice called out, but then it faltered. Both her and Harry were shocked in Ginny's present appearance. Harry was the most stunned of all.

face suddenly darkened with a sober expression. Both of them were shocked at his little sister's appearance. They should be. Ever since Dumbledore had died after the funeral, Ginny was never quite the same. The whole family was worried about her now, but they didn't let on. Harry's eyes widened at Ginny's looks. She was a petite teenager, and had a slim build. But now it looked like her she was only skin and bones! Her face was hollowed out, the eyes seeming too big for her face. Her hair was the same, long, shiny, and the fiery red he appreciated. She looked like a ghost. Harry's eyes took in her appearance intensely. Though she looked fairly gaunt, there was a delicate, almost fragile beauty to her now.

"hey Ginny" Harry said rather awkwardly though he wasn't quite sure why.

"hi Harry" she answered quietly still looking at him through her stormy blue eyes.

Harry wasn't really aware of what he was doing. All he knew was that he had opened his arms and was hugging her. Ginny was surprised but hugged him back tightly.